History Auto racing 1894-1942

Kurtis,
I suspected USA was in the lead but not THAT up front. First Oval track ever Narragansett Park in Cranston, Rhode Island, United States Monday 7 September 1896, is really amazing, knocked me over. Thanks for the information.

 

This thread is very fortunate to have so many knowledgeable contributors so i'm curious to see how quick some of you can identify these drivers from the 1924 Grand Prix d'Europe at Lyon.

 

Narragansett Park was also the site for the first ever closed circuit motor race in the world although you wouldn't beleive it if you saw the pictures of the cars that day.

Glad i could help in some way.

 

^ RE east coast racing in the very early days of the auto being at the head of the game, wasn't that the place where all the old, disposable money was? From racing boats, to aircraft, to cars, to horses, etc. I reckon all the newest and latest "stuff" from all around the world ended up some place on the east coast first when it got to the US. Then throw in all con-men, pick pockets, dime novelists, hucksters, celebrity seekers, inventors, speculators, moguls and robber barons just to make it interesting. Gary

 

As far as I can work out, this was the same event - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_French_Grand_Prix - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Grand_Prix - just haven't taken the time to names to faces yet.

 

from 'histoires du sport automobile:'




http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/carl44s/preww2motorsports/?start=all

 

I should know more, but I think these are all correct:

2 = Divo
3 = Chassagne
4 = Goux
5 = Ascari
6 = Wagner
8= Thomas
9= Nazzaro
10 = Friderich
11 = Costantini
15 = Resta
16 = Segrave
17 = Lee Guinness

 

^^^ I think 4 of those cars are Duryeas. In 1900 they broke the vehicles down into different classes Electric, Tricycles, Steam, and Gasoline. Bob

 

This copy of the RI State Legislature 1996 Resolution mentions the vehicles:
http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/publiclaws96/res96/res96147.html

Appears in 1915 the 1 mile Narragansett horse track was paved with concrete and banked and thus became the 'First Superspeedway'?
See Michael Ferner's post # 7958.

 

Vintage Racing at California Speedway Oval and Road Course on June 22, 23, 24.

Historic Champ/Indy Cars Celebrated Their Great Indianapolis Speedway History A Few Weeks Back During The Indy 500 Festivities And Will Be Celebrating Their Great Southern California History June 22-24, On The Auto Club Two-Mile Oval Twice Each Day With The Victory Lane Historic Champ/Indy Car Showcase During The Big Historic Oval And Road Racing Festival Organized By HCICA And HSR-West.

Over 25 Historic Champ/Indy Car Association Cars will join more than 200 Historic Sportscar Racing West Cars for the Southern California Racing Festival. The road racing cars will run in 12 groups twice daily during the 3-day event on the 3-mile Grand Am road racing circuit, which uses the main oval front straight and infield area.
Many great oval car names are expected to run on this Auto Club oval, including Watson, Eagle, Kurtis, Miller, Lola, March, National and Novi.
Great road racing cars to appear include Corvette, Jaguar, MG, Healey, Lotus, Lola, Chevron, Porsche, Mercedes, Triumph, McLaren, March, McKee, Genie, Elva and many more. The event also includes Historic Stock Cars, Production Sports Cars, Sports Racing Cars and Formula Cars.
Historic Champ/Indy Car entrants call Pam Shatraw, HCICA, 650-321-1411 (CA). Road racing entrants call Ed Swart, HSR-West, 310-750-6933 (CA).

Here's the most up to date sched for the historic indycars on the oval, call Ed Swart for the roadcourse schedule.

Thursday June 21 12PM gates open for trailer parking Garage 1 spaces 61-74.

Friday June 22
8-5PM HSRW registration Garage 2
HCICA safety Inspection
10AM Drivers Meeting HCICA
12:05 HCICA on track
4:30 HCICA on track

Saturday June 23
10AM Drivers Meeting HCICA
11:35 HCICA on track
1:00 Lunch for HCICA entrants and guests
4:30 HCICA on track

Sunday June 24
8:30 HCICA on track
12:15 HCICA on track

Pam Shatraw cell phone 650 799 0826

 

We at The Old Motor are having our first charitable fund raiser, it is now open and we are helping the Larz Anderson Auto Museum get this incredible 1907 Fiat to the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance later this summer.The fund is to help them pay for the new tires this car needs and will help them immensely as they will be able to benefit from the exposure the car will get.

You can read the full story about the Fiat here and see many photos of this incredible 1907 Tipo 50/60. It is believed to be the only survivor of some 116 that were built between 1907-08. It is an 11.044 litre double chain-drive six that is quite similar to the Fiat four cylinder racing cars of the period.

Like many museums, they rely on donations from the public to carry out their mission. We hope
this will be only the first round of fund raising to help form a preservation fund that can be used to
take care of the needs of the core “Larz Anderson Collection” of rare and early vehicles. These masterpieces
were first shared with the public when the Anderson’s opened their carriage house to tours of its “ancient vehicles” in 1927.


The Larz Anderson Museum now has their easy and secure credit card payment set up so that you can donate directly to them here.

Please help them if you can as any donation no matter how small will be welcome.

 

Allan Brown's "History of the American Speedway" could help with those tracks in this country.

 

Impressive! although...close but no cigar. You have the names correct but a few are not in the correct order. At one time you wrote a piece on the first fellow. Think of the French Resistance and it will come to you.
Care to have another go?

 

David, you need to set up Skype for those of us who wish to attend but can't in person and you need a digital clock mounted on the wall as well as a laptop on the bench. Come on man, get with the times.

In all seriousness, it sounds like a great event. I wish you all the luck.

 

1 = Benoist
2 = Divo?
3 = Chassagne
4 = Zborowski
5 = Ascari?
6 = Wagner?
7 = ?
8 = Campari
9 = Nazzaro
10 = Friderich
11 = Bordino
12 = ?
13 = de Vizcaya
14 = Goux
15 = Resta
16 = Segrave
17 = Lee Guinness
18 = Thomas

 

Getting closer. The list is in order except for the gaps and the Count at number 4 is a no no.

 

Not Zborowski, huh? Well, the first name that came into my mind on seeing that pic was Foresti, but I couldn't locate a reference pic. Maybe it's him, or maybe #7? #12 is probably Costantini, then.

 

Number 4 and 7 could be tricky as neither are listed in the results. Here are a couple of hints. Number 4.. this gentleman was first a motorcycle racer and later drove cars but with a different christian name. The surname is the same but the gentleman is not. Number 7...this gentleman is an Italian and drove to victory ahead of Nazzaro at the 192? Italian Grand Prix.

Constantini is correct.

 

All right, 7 is Salamano, then. I don't understand the bit about the gentleman being the same, and then not

 

My apologies. I'll simplify it. During this persons motorcycle racing days he initialized his first and middle name but when he raced cars he was known as his christian name. Now i'll make it harder. Think horsepower.

The person above is not the same person on the list of drivers in the photo i posted. Both just have the same surname.

I'm not making it any easier am i?

 

LOL, no you're not!

Horsepower, horse power - I can't stop thinking of H. P. Müller, but the only Müller racing in the twenties that I know of was sometime NSU pedaller Josef, and he wasn't quite ready for a Grand Prix yet. I give up!

 

You're right! I was going to start testing your German football history since the name Muller is famous in those sporting quarters but i decided to keep it on topic. Have you heard of the French cycling champion also named Josef Muller? Just kidding.

Just like you i'm also somewhat confused by the supposed appearance at Lyon of Josef Muller. I looked through three other lists and his name is not mentioned nor is he, or NSU for that matter, on the registration form for the Grand Prix de l'U.M.F. which was run in conjunction with the A.C.F. event two days before. I haven't seen the list of the five competitors for the cyclecar race but i think it highly unlikely there was an entry from NSU. Can i say Fiat?

I admire your persistence, Michael. Yourself and Richard are pretty sharp tools.

He's the rest of the program.

 

I don't think I have ever seen a picure of Josef Müller, but I doubt it's him. It just doesn't make sense. I'm sure it's Zborowski, after all - the newspaper man must've read the name Miller next to his name and decided that it's easier to spell! Still, didn't quite make it...

Also, that looks just like Zborowski's riding mechanic, Sammy Davis peering over his shoulder. What do you think, Richard?

 

It could very well be Sammy. However, I think this shows that the main subject is definitely Lou:



http://www.david-paine.com/public_pages/1

 

Assuming this Stutz Bearcat might have been raced, judging by the number on the radiator, can anyone ID it or who may have used the number 15 inside a square?

 

^^^^^^^^^^^ They look like ranchers, maybe the Diamond 15 was a Ranch brand. Bob

 

Bob....They could very well be.....I bought the photo from someone in Texas, so your guess might be right. A Bearcat is the perfect thing for chasing cattle!!!

 

If you don't care about actually catching them

15 might be their % chance of catching a Mercer

 

The thing to do at my high school was to back up to the front door(usually at night and on the weekends)and do burnouts off of the steps and into the street.We would come back on on Monday and brag who's marks were on the steps.

That's what that picture reminds me of...

 

Dinner last night at the car club, we had many interesting topics of conversation, as usual . One we could not agree on: The origin of the laurels on the Benz emblem. Does anyone know the answer? Please put me out of my misery.